{"id":256,"date":"2007-05-22T20:51:14","date_gmt":"2007-05-23T00:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2007\/05\/22\/tiki-eyeball-trip-report\/"},"modified":"2018-02-28T11:08:04","modified_gmt":"2018-02-28T18:08:04","slug":"tiki-eyeball-trip-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2007\/05\/22\/tiki-eyeball-trip-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Tiki Eyeball Trip Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

This year was the first annual Tiki Eyeball. It was an event by Wizzard Road Shows, which does a number of car events over the summer. I was contacted to put together a tiki carving demonstration and then helped get ideas together and promote the event.<\/p>\n

For Basement Kahuna, it meant driving 4 hours up to Knoxville from Athens. We then set out on another 9+ hour drive to central Illinois. With a late start and lots of stopping to search antique malls, plus an hour where we put it in park and stood in the interstate, it turned into about a 14 hour drive.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2496.JPG\"
\nBasement Kahuna and I are always on the prowl for rare liquors and this old sign we thought pointed the way. Screw gin and vodka! We sell Whiskey! Well, on opening the door, a few haggard locals swung around on their stools at 2PM on a Thursday. We were not finding anything there.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2499.JPG\"
\nSo we were a little loopy come Friday. Noa Noa’s in our room before the trip to the Aku Tiki Room. Lake Surfer and his wife, Tipsy McStagger, Kevin and Hadley Moore, and others came by. And then we found out the bus had broken down. In the middle of an intersection…<\/p>\n

\"timg_2505.JPG\"
\nThe sunken bar at the Aku Tiki Room. The design of the bar was fantastic. I wish there was a bar this cool around here, tiki or no tiki.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2509.JPG\"
\nThis painting once had no lei. It still has some nipple. Cool.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2511.JPG\"
\nGreat shell lamps. These are over 3 feet across.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2524.JPG\"
\nTipsy and others at dinner.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2527.JPG\"
\nThe Tiki Twins! These gals started serving there, along with their Mom, when they were 13. They continued to work there for decades. I spent most of the night talking to them and hearing their story. In fact, I spent so much time taking pictures and talking I forgot to eat dinner! Luckily I it also kept me drinking slowly.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2544.JPG\"
\nGreat Oceanic Arts <\/a>rail posts and mask with shell sconces.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2553.JPG\"
\nNext day was kar time with Kay Ohara <\/a>signing prints.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2568.JPG\"
\nTonga Trader and his wife drove their 1961 Chyrsler 300 to the event. This is one of my favorite cars. You gotta love a cross ram V8 luxury car.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2583.JPG\"
\nKevin Moore shows a novel way to torch a tiki carving, using a 1959 Cadillac… Video is on its way…<\/p>\n

\"timg_2595.JPG\"
\nBK and I went back to the Aku Tiki Room that night and stopped by the Kewaunee Moose Lodge<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2599.JPG\"
\nThis is the Church of the Future! On the road to the ATR.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2601.JPG\"<\/p>\n

\"timg_2603.JPG\"
\nBK enjoys a lobster tail dinner. The drinks here are fantastic. Demerara Dry Float, Beachcomber Punch and Rum Barrels I recommend. El Dorado 12 Year. The bartender Tom works hard to keep the ingredients in stock.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2606.JPG\"
\nOn the return trip, we stopped at our Papua New Guinea collector’s house to see the new shipment. Here are a few shields.<\/p>\n

\"timg_2613.JPG\"
\nLeft side…<\/p>\n

\"timg_2614.JPG\"
\nRight side.<\/p>\n

We’ll have a few pieces for sale at Hukilau<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The event was poorly attended for reasons we don’t know, but we’ll correct some problems and do it again next year. I already have a verbal agreement from Pablus to perform in the round in the ATR. Basement Kahuna puts the ATR right behind the Atlanta Trader Vic’s. He now has one of his carvings there and is designing their signature mug we hope will be available when we return next year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year was the first annual Tiki Eyeball. It was an event by Wizzard Road Shows, which does a number of car events over the summer. I was contacted to Read More …<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[450,5,547,11,539,540,541],"tags":[464,528,101,132,190,206,208,260,10],"class_list":["post-256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","category-events","category-places","category-polynesian-pop","category-retro-goodies","category-retro-preservation","category-vintage-places","tag-aku-tiki-room","tag-corn","tag-custom","tag-event","tag-illinois","tag-kars","tag-kewaunee","tag-moost","tag-tiki"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/timg_2509.jpg?fit=450%2C338&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p731sH-48","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":214,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2007\/01\/25\/tiki-eyeball-aku-tiki-inn-peru-il-may-18th-20th\/","url_meta":{"origin":256,"position":0},"title":"Tiki Eyeball – Aku Tiki Inn – Peru, IL – May 18th-20th","author":"Swanky","date":"January 25, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Kick off the summer right with Kustom Kars and Tiki Bars! This is the first event of the season for\u00c2\u00a0 Wizzard Road Shows and the first\u00c2\u00a0Tiki Eyeball event. It promises to be a great weekender in the heartland of America. Great bands, vendors, rods and fun. I am bringing a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":253,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2007\/05\/16\/are-we-there-yet\/","url_meta":{"origin":256,"position":1},"title":"Are We There Yet?!","author":"Swanky","date":"May 16, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Basement Kahuna arrives here today and we depart for Tiki Eyeball in the morning. I am in my office today, listening to my Exotica\u00c2\u00a0and islands music playlist and I am excited. It's like when I was a kid and we were going to Disneyworld in the morning. I hear the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cocktail Capers"","block_context":{"text":"Cocktail Capers","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/cocktail-capers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":199,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2006\/11\/27\/the-basement-kahuna-collection\/","url_meta":{"origin":256,"position":2},"title":"The Basement Kahuna Collection","author":"Swanky","date":"November 27, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Basement Kahuna is a top big game hunter in the tiki world. The collection of artifacts he uncovered in just a few months was astounding. He has sold off his mugs and many other things and these days is only keeping postcards. While he was visiting last weekend, I asked\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Tiki\" Collecting"","block_context":{"text":"\"Tiki\" Collecting","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/polynesian-pop\/tiki-collecting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/11\/akua-motor-lodge-anaheim-2.jpg?fit=490%2C313&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":225,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2007\/03\/15\/summer-travel-in-the-land-of-tiki\/","url_meta":{"origin":256,"position":3},"title":"Summer Travel in the Land of Tiki","author":"Swanky","date":"March 15, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Spring is in the air here at the Swank Pad. I saw the first robin two weeks ago. I may be getting old when this season brings on a certain dread as I think of all the yard work... But, I look forward to the work as well... Ms Swanky\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":196,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2006\/11\/25\/affordable-basement-kahuna-pieces\/","url_meta":{"origin":256,"position":4},"title":"Affordable Basement Kahuna pieces","author":"Swanky","date":"November 25, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Basement Kahuna is one of the top tiki carvers at work today. The detail of his work is over the top and his finishes make his carvings look like they were done decades ago. Most of his work is large and very complex. He has recently started making a small\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Tiki\" Collecting"","block_context":{"text":"\"Tiki\" Collecting","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/polynesian-pop\/tiki-collecting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":369,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2008\/07\/06\/follynesia-bosko-the-bum-basement-kahuna-pablus-surf\/","url_meta":{"origin":256,"position":5},"title":"Follynesia – Bosko, The Bum, Basement Kahuna, Pablus, Surf, …","author":"Swanky","date":"July 6, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"We started Coon Tiki a few years ago to teach and learn about carving tikis. Now we are moving the class to the beach and expanding it into an event for more people to enjoy. So, for $49 a night per person or less, you get, a beachfront house for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Follynesia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/uploads\/2008\/07\/follynesia_rev7-2-0872-228x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=256"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1568,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256\/revisions\/1568"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}